The following are the pivot points for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). Pivot High: $277.76, Pivot Low: $276.005. These were calculated using the DeMark method. It is generally believed to be bullish when price breaks out above the pivot high or bearish when price breaks down below the pivot low.

Top U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators resumed high-level discussions to hash out an agreement that could put an end on their trade dispute, Jeff Mason of Reuters reports. The move comes just over a week before a U.S.-imposed deadline to reach a deal expires and triggers a new round of tariffs. Reference Link

Moller-Maersk CEO Soren Skou said he expects an increase in tensions in the global trade war "even if the US and China agree on a new deal," says the Financial Times. The CEO of "the world's biggest container shipping line," downgraded expectations for his company,Moller-Maersk's 2019 financial view, added the FT. According to the report, Soren Skou said: "Even if China and the US settle their differences and do a trade deal, that's not the end of trade tensions - that means the US moves its attention more on to Europe and we have another round there." Reference Link

The following are the pivot points for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). Pivot High: $279.50, Pivot Low: $277.83. These were calculated using the DeMark method. It is generally believed to be bullish when price breaks out above the pivot high or bearish when price breaks down below the pivot low.

Minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting read, "Almost all participants thought that it would be desirable to announce before too long a plan to stop reducing the Federal Reserve's asset holdings later this year. Such an announcement would provide more certainty about the process for completing the normalization of the size of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet. A substantial majority expected that when asset redemptions ended, the level of reserves would likely be somewhat larger than necessary for efficient and effective implementation of monetary policy; if so, many suggested that some further very gradual decline in the average level of reserves, reflecting the trend growth of other liabilities such as Federal Reserve notes in circulation, could be appropriate."

Minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting read, "Participants pointed to a variety of considerations that supported a patient approach to monetary policy at this juncture as an appropriate step in managing various risks and uncertainties in the outlook. With regard to the domestic economic picture, additional data would help policymakers gauge the trajectory of business and consumer sentiment, whether the recent softness in core and total inflation and inflation compensation would persist, and the effect of the tightening of financial conditions on aggregate demand. Information arriving in coming months could also shed light on the effects of the recent partial federal government shutdown on the U.S. economy and on the results of the budget negotiations occurring in the wake of the shutdown, including the possible implications for the path of fiscal policy. A patient approach would have the added benefit of giving policymakers an opportunity to judge the response of economic activity and inflation to the recent steps taken to normalize the stance of monetary policy. Furthermore, a patient posture would allow time for a clearer picture of the international trade policy situation and the state of the global economy to emerge and, in particular, could allow policymakers to reach a firmer judgment about the extent and persistence of the economic slowdown in Europe and China."

Minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting read, "In their consideration of monetary policy at this meeting, participants judged that information received since December indicated that real economic activity had been rising at a solid rate, labor market conditions had continued to strengthen, and inflation had been near the Committee's objective. Participants generally expected economic activity to continue expanding at a solid pace in the period ahead, with strong labor market conditions and inflation near 2 percent. At the time of the December meeting, the Committee had noted that it would continue to monitor global economic and financial developments and assess their implications for the economic outlook. Participants observed that since then, the economic outlook had become more uncertain. Financial market volatility had remained elevated over the intermeeting period, and, despite some easing since the December FOMC meeting, overall financial conditions had tightened since September. In addition, the global economy had continued to record slower growth, and consumer and business sentiment had deteriorated. The government policy environment, including trade negotiations and the recent partial federal government shutdown, was also seen as a factor contributing to uncertainty about the economic outlook."